More and more users increasingly depend on messaging services and electronic and wireless communications which utilize various and divergent formats as well as different devices, e.g., computer, facsimile, voice mail, electronic mail, mobile or cellular phone, pager, personal digital assistant (“PDA”), etc. Further, a growing number of users utilize multiple such messaging and communication services in what have become known as “mobile offices.” Many users have access to numerous services via desktop computers interconnected to one or more wireline networks and also use wireless devices such as pager devices and mobile phones to conduct business. Typically, separate accounts and access profiles are required for each of the various messaging and communication services making it difficult and time consuming for users to communicate across the different messaging and communication services.
Users utilizing different messaging and communication services, when not physically present at each of the receiving devices, must frequently check the various services to determine if messages or other communications have been received. Often users may not have within their possession a mechanism that enables them to monitor or determine the receipt of a message or communication. For example, when a user is away from a desktop computer which receives e-mail messages from a server and the user does not have remote access to such messages, it may not be possible for the user to check even the existence of such messages without involving a third party to directly check for such messages. If such a third party is not available, then the user is left with few, if any, options short of physically returning to the desktop computer to check for such messages. Even when the user has access to the messages, such as via a laptop computer connected via modem to a network connecting the server to the desktop computer, then the user must check each of the services frequently or run the risk of missing an urgent communication.
Once the user receives notice of the message or communication, the user must then decide how best to act on the message or communication. If, as in the case of the e-mail message, the user does not have the benefit of a laptop or prefers not to be encumbered by such a device when away from the office, then the user must respond by telephone or some other different mechanisms or must involve a third party to prepare a response on behalf of the user. Accordingly, much of the benefit of having multiple forms of messaging and communicating is lost or rendered ineffective.
These and other drawbacks exist with existing systems.